Nintendo's amazing triumph in Japan may doom the company internationally
Japanese and American tastes have always been different. But what we are witnessing now is a particularly fascinating divergence. American consumers are spending more of their time and money on...
View ArticleJapan faces prospect of third decade of low growth
Investors are not ready to bet against Japan. But maybe that's the country's biggest problem. Until there is a sign that the outside world is prepared to park its savings somewhere else, Tokyo will...
View ArticleEquities big in Japan again as Abe wakes up markets
Japan's December rally has handed Asia's struggling stock traders an early Christmas present as the rare flurry of activity in Tokyo helps make an otherwise bleak year end on a brighter note. (Reuters)
View ArticleU.N. chief urges new crop of Asian leaders to play nice, widen horizons
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said Wednesday he hopes the new leaders in Japan, China and South Korea can work together to make the region secure and peaceful during an "important" and "exciting"...
View ArticleIchiro agrees to new contract with Yankees
The Yankees and Ichiro Suzuki finalized a $13 million, two-year contract Wednesday that keeps the 10-time All-Star in the Bronx. (Japan Times)
View ArticleJames Bond can't fix Sony as Japan makers hit lows
Even James Bond and Spider-Man can't rescue Sony Corp. In "Skyfall," actor Daniel Craig's 007 uses Sony's Xperia T smartphone, while Andrew Garfield's title character in "The Amazing Spider-Man" wields...
View Article2 bodies found in freezer at dried seafood store in Shizuoka
Police said Thursday they are investigating the murder of a man and woman whose bodies were found at a dried fish store in Ito, Shizuoka Prefecture. (Japan Today)
View ArticlePolice detention cells to be subject to total smoking ban
The National Police Agency has decided to enforce a total ban on smoking in 1,226 detention cells at prefectural headquarters and police stations nationwide, starting April. (Yomiuri)
View ArticlePanel: Fault under Japan nuke plant likely active
A team of Japanese scientists said Thursday that faults underneath a nuclear plant in northern Japan are most likely active, a discovery that could further delay the restart of idled reactors....
View Article'Erin Brockovich' toxin found at Japan plant
The toxic chemical made infamous by campaigning single mother Erin Brockovich has been found at up to 15,800 times safety limits in groundwater at a Japanese iron plant, the factory's operator said...
View ArticleJapan offers hope of treating cancer
In a breakthrough, scientists have for the first time created cancer-killing cells which can be directly injected into patients. (India Times)
View ArticleTraffic accident deaths down for 12th straight year in 2012
The number of deaths from traffic accidents in 2012 totaled 4,411, down 4.4 percent from the preceding year and the 12th straight annual decrease, National Police Agency data revealed Friday. (Yomiuri)
View ArticleGangster register aims to bar yakuza from Japan's stock market
The Japan Securities Dealers Association is checking the identities of new individual stock market investors against a national register of known gangsters to restrict money-making by yakuza groups....
View ArticleBody found in Gifu river likely that of man wanted for murder
The body of a man found in the Nagara River in Gifu Prefecture is believed to be that of a man wanted for murder, police said Friday. (Japan Today)
View ArticleYen and dollar face a tough 2013
The yen and dollar face a tough 2013 as the Japanese and US central banks print money furiously to stimulate their economies, making the euro and sterling unlikely relative winners despite Europe's...
View Article3 killed after minivan crashes into truck in tunnel
Three people, including a 4-year-old boy, were killed after a minivan crashed into a truck in a tunnel in Gifu Prefecture on Friday. (Japan Today)
View ArticleJapan scrambles jets to head off Chinese plane
Japan scrambled fighter jets today to head off a Chinese state-owned plane that flew near islands at the centre of a dispute between Tokyo and Beijing, a Japanese Defence Ministry spokesman said....
View ArticleEven gangsters live in fear of Japan's gun laws
It's almost impossible to get to a gun in Japan, and selling one or owning one is a serious crime. Fire the gun? Possibly life imprisonment. Gun-control laws are taken so seriously that police will...
View ArticleIce skating: Takahashi to quit after Sochi
Japan's former world champion Daisuke Takahashi plans to hang up his skates after the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. (Reuters)
View Article'Abe trade': Will Japan's bull-run last?
Bull markets in Japan tend not to last long. Over the past two decades, in an environment of low growth and persistent deflation, the best strategy for globally minded investors has been to get in...
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